The Island at the Top of the World

In 1907, a wealthy Englishman recruits an American archaeologist and a French dirigible pilot to help him find a mysterious island in the Arctic where he believes he will find his missing son. When they locate the island, they find its inhabited by a lost Viking civilization that aren't too happy to see the outsiders.

Enjoyable Disney adventure film that's a throwback of sorts to similar films of the 1950s and early 1960s. It immediately brings to mind movies based on the works of Jules Verne, although it's actually an adaptation of the Ian Cameron novel "The Lost Ones." Handling the screenplay is John Whedon, a writer who worked mostly in sitcom television and also happens to be the grandfather of Joss Whedon. Directing the film is Disney favorite Robert Stevenson. It's a good-looking picture with nice sets and matte paintings. The scenes with the dirigible model are pretty good. There are no Harryhausen monsters to speak of, sadly, but there is a groan-tastic scene involving killer whales. The cast is decent, with most of the actors playing stereotype stock characters. Mako's turn as a cowardly Eskimo is probably the most colorful performance in the film. Maurice Jarre's evocative score is a big plus. The journey to discover the island is the best part. Once they arrive and deal with the Vikings, it becomes a lot less interesting, although things do pick back up during the escape. It's not going to give 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Mysterious Island a run for their money, but it's very entertaining in its own way. Give it a shot if you're a fan of old-school adventure films, Disney or not, and you'll likely find something to enjoy here.

FYI...I flew the camera ship for the Polar Bear and Narwhal scenes. The camera man was Bill Bacon from Squim, Washington. According to my log book, I met Bill in Resolute Bay, NWT on about July 24, 1973. On July 26, 1973 we flew 2+00 hours to Arctic Bay, NWT for staging and fuel. I logged 6+30 hours flying on July 27th, this was en-route from Arctic Bay,NWT to Admirality Inlet for the filming and returning to Resolute Bay. The Aircraft was a Bell 206B (CF-OKU) belonging to Okanagan Helicopters Ltd. A Canadian company out of Vancouver, BC, Canada with a base in Resolute. The Narwhal scenes were filmed with a 35 MM camera, but if I remember correctly Bill shot the Polar bear as an after thought and was filmed with a 16 MM camera.

Walter Lasher Everett, Washington W98208@Juno.com

This film has lots of flaws. It has inferior Disney production values to be sure. An inferior cast. But for me it is still magic as I remember seeing it as a small boy in a theater when it came out. I remember the big zepplin careening through a dusty red night on its way to the Artic. I can still picture the whales in my mind and for some reason thought the movie was about finding the place where whales go to die. That is part of it, but it really tells the story of an English aristocrat employing the aid of a French airship captain and an American scientist to go to the Artic to find his lost son. There is a large part of the film devoted to the viking civilization on the Island at the Top of theWorld. Funny, but I didn't seem to remember any of that. After seeing the film again almost thirty years later, I can see why. It is ludicrous. But the rest of the film still holds up for me. The production values, special effects, and acting are not what you would normally expect from Disney. This must have been one of their rush productions. Come on, David Hartman as a hero. I have seen baloney sandwhiches with more charisma! Nonetheless, he is adequate, and Donald Sinden is okay too. the real acting standout is Jacques Marin as the airship captain. He has a lot of fun with his role. The musical score by Maurice Jarre is breathtaking.

The Island At The Top Of The World is based on a novel by Ian Cameron entitled The Lost Ones. The novel was set in modern times, but the film is set in Edwardian times. It is one of the better live-action Disney films, with an interesting and exciting plot, solid performances and an unusual setting. Only the weak special effects give the viewer something to gripe about.

Donald Sinden is splendid as Sir Anthony Ross, an elderly London gentleman who is desperate to find out what happened to his son Donald. Apparently, young Donald went off to the Arctic several months earlier in search of a mythical place "where whales go to die", but he disappeared during the expedition. Sir Anthony refuses to believe that his son is dead, so he assembles a search party and they set off for the freezing polar ice-cap aboard a French airship. As it turns out, right up at the top of the world there exists a lost colony of Viking throwbacks, hidden from the rest of the world and able to survive because the valley in which they live is heated by volcanic materials. Young Donald has been living with these folk since his strange disappearance, but the arrival of his father's search party causes trouble and the Viking elders vote to kill the intruders.

It's every bit as unusual and fascinating as it sounds, and is a truly worthwhile film for kids and adults alike. There are a few mis-calculations (few films, after all, are perfect) but not too many. The special effects, as already suggested, are somewhat below par. Also, much of the Viking dialect is translated by David Hartman's character, and the task of listening to it in one language, then again in English, is slightly tedious. However, all things considered, this is a very enjoyable and entertaining production.

For a low budget Disney movie that's 30 years old this ripping yarn is a lot of fun. It has everything from killer whales, volcanoes, an experimental airship, a lost civilization of Vikings and even Mako in the role of an Eskimo who 'fights like a bear'!

When Sir Anthony discovers that his son has gone missing in the frozen north, this upper class Brit wastes no time in putting together a team of explorers (an American archaeologist, a French aviator and an Eskimo) to get him back. Using an experimental French airship they head past Greenland into the vast unknown of the frozen north. Using a map made of bone and ancient myths they find their way to a lost island oasis hidden deep in the ice.

I won't ruin anymore of the plot, as it gets even better from there. The set pieces and costumes are amazing for their time (and the low budget). The special effects in some parts look slightly dated but add to the charm of the film. If you don't think so then I am sure that the attack by the killer whales towards the end makes up for it! This film is a lot of fun and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good adventure story. The movie is PG enough for the kiddies, but the neat story and the clever locations will keep the adults interested.